Emma Stone stars in 'The Help,' based on the popular book by Kathryn Stockett.

But The Help, with its emphasis on an unlikely friendship transcending segregated strictures, manages this tricky feat. It also personalizes the broader issue of civil rights by focusing on one slice of the black experience.

And fans of the best-selling novel can rest easy: The warmly engaging book has been made into an equally affecting movie.

Powered by a strong cast, The Help is a faithful adaptation of Kathryn Stockett's novel. A trio of outstanding performances carry the film on their strong shoulders.

The story is set in Jackson, Miss., in 1963 and centers on Skeeter (Emma Stone), a recent college graduate determined to document the life experiences of African-American maids who endure all manner of disrespect catering to white society folks. At best, their employers take them for granted; at worst they are treated as if they are subhuman.

In the course of this project, which involves the women meeting on the sly to tell their personal stories, a bond is forged between Skeeter, Aibileen (Viola Davis) and Minny (Octavia Spencer) that flies in the face of the era's societal limitations. Their sisterhood evolves slowly and naturally.

Davis is remarkable as the cautious Aibileen, communicating years of suffering and fear with the most subtle expressions. Despite the hardships she has endured, she is warmly loving to a little girl ignored by her pampered mother.

Spencer, who is more often seen in comic roles, brings the multifaceted character of Minny to vivid life. We unabashedly root for her as she takes unusual revenge on the employer who cruelly mistreated her. Spencer visibly seethes and imbues her character with deadpan humor as she endures the belittling of her smug, racist employer Hilly (Bryce Dallas Howard).

The third noteworthy portrayal is by Jessica Chastain as Celia, a kind-hearted outsider who dresses like a bombshell and is ostracized by the snobbish young women under bossy Hilly's sway. Chastain makes a powerful impression as a fragile young wife hiding a painful secret.

The likable Stone — so sharp in satirical teen comedies like Easy A— feels a bit too contemporary in this role. Her Southern accent tends to waver. The movie wisely focuses less on Skeeter than on the maids she chronicles.

As she absorbs the women's personal sagas, Skeeter's conviction to become a writer is strengthened, along with her need to know what happened to her beloved maid, Constantine (Cicely Tyson). The book gave that subplot more heft. Here it feels tacked on. Tyson has too little screen time, though what she has is memorable and moving.

The Help sidesteps easy sentimentality. As the film's heart and soul, Davis and Spencer add vast reserves of depth and dignity to a crowd-pleasing tale.

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